Militia Attack Leaves Over 20 Civilians Dead in DR Congo

Militia fighters in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s northeastern Ituri province killed more than 20 civilians on Friday, Arab News reported.

The Cooperative for the Development of Congo (Codeco) militia, which claims to represent the interests of the Lendu community against the rival Hema tribe, was blamed for the attack in the village of Lodjo.

The Congolese army arrived too late to prevent the massacre, according to a local administrator.

Dozens of civilians have been killed in Codeco attacks in Ituri since the start of the year. The region has seen a resurgence of inter-communal violence that first erupted in 1999, leaving thousands dead and displacing many more.

The southern part of Ituri has also been impacted by spillover from conflicts in neighboring North Kivu province.